5 Tips for Traveling Overseas For The First Time

Thanks to my mom’s work, I had the privilege of traveling to several different countries. South Africa, Norway and Sweden were just a few of the places I experienced with my family, and Singapore was my first time traveling alone. Because of this, I learned a few important things about traveling overseas.

I hope you find these tips helpful!

Make two copies of your passport

Before you board that plane, be sure to make two color copies of your passport. You should leave one copy with your emergency contact (love you mom), and take the other copy with you. Keep it separate from your actual passport. That way if you lose it, you won’t be completely out of options.

But also, don’t lose your passport.

Keep a spare change of clothes in your carry on

We all hate losing luggage. But nothing is worse than when your luggage disappears in a foreign country and you have to wait 2-3 days to get it back. This has happened to me more than I’d like to admit. So now when I travel overseas, I always keep a change of clothes with me in my carry on. I also like to keep a travel toothbrush and toothpaste set with me as well.

Travel with a purse you can zip

At home, I keep my belongings in a tote bag that’s only secured by a small snap because I’m pretty familiar with my surroundings. But when you travel to a country you’ve never been to before, it’s important to carry a purse that you can zip up. This minimizes the possibility of someone trying to steal your things when you’re not looking, or taking that perfect snap for Instagram.

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Convert your currency in the states

You don’t have to convert your money before you travel but I highly recommend it. Not only does it minimize the amount of stress that comes along with tracking down an ATM in a foreign country, but it also reduces the possibility of getting scammed on exchange rates (airport exchange rates are INSANE).

Remember to: notify your bank before you travel abroad. If you don’t travel overseas frequently, they might think your card has been stolen and they’ll freeze your account!

Don’t forget to purchase adapters

This one is super easy to forget because you never have to think about converters when you travel within the US. Be sure to research the correct voltage/plug type before purchasing your adapters. I always bring at least 3 with me on my travels. One for the bathroom, and two for my laptop and phone.

Remember to: read this if you plan on bringing any hair styling tools like a flat iron or blow dryer.

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What else would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments!